Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

The Commission and Norway have reached an agreement on a number of outstanding issues in the area of fisheries, including a quota of Svalbard cod to the EU at the level of 2,8274% of the total allowable catch (TAC) for the next and the following years.

During the 47th annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the EU and neighbourhood countries agreed on important measures in favour of sustainability of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Today, the Commission published its proposal to set catch limits, or total allowable catches (TACs), for ten fish stocks in the EU waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Kattegat, and Skagerrak for 2025.

The delegations of the European Union, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom (coastal states) reached an agreement on management measures, for mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic for 2025.

The Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2025, following the Commission proposal made in August this year.

The EU decided to request the establishment of an independent arbitration tribunal under the dispute settlement mechanism of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) concerning the United Kingdom’s decision to prohibit the fishing of sandeel.

Reykjavik, 18 October 2024 – The EU plays a critical role supporting innovation to drive sustainable economic development in the Arctic. This was the focus of a panel session organised by the EU and the Arctic Economic Council at the 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly.

On 17 October 2024, the EU’s maritime community met in Brussels to discuss the present challenges in maritime security domain and the role of CISE in bringing maritime authorities together for a stronger and more effective response to them.

The proper planning of ocean space and use is a precondition of good ocean governance. It is indispensable if we want to sustainably grow our blue economy and preserve - or even restore - the marine ecosystem.

The EU Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Week marked a decade of EU support to cross-border cooperation on maritime spatial planning. The European Maritime Spatial Planning Week brought the MSP community together in Marseille (France) to reflect on the achievements made across European seas, discuss current policies, and plan for the next steps to tackle new challenges for maritime spatial planning in the EU.

Two additional countries – Bulgaria and Romania – as well as some of their key regional and local stakeholders endorsed the Charter of the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', committing to accelerate the restoration of the Danube River and Black Sea region.

On 10 October 2024 the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group presented its report on how to help the two continents work together on ocean issues. 

The Commission has launched a call for applications for the selection of members of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).